Mississippi State Opponent winning percentage: 62.7 Buzz: Dan Mullen knows a thing about playing big opponents. When he was the offensive coordinator with Florida, he coached in some big games. That experience will come in handy this season with the Bulldogs. A prime-time Thursday match-up with No. 23 Auburn on Sept. 9 will show just how far MSU has come. Facing an explosive offense is a theme you'll see over and over in Mississippi State's schedule. The Bulldogs go on the road to face No.16 LSU and then back home against No. 21 Georgia, a team they've lost nine straight games against. Road match-ups against Houston, No. 3 Florida, No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi will make this a long season in Starksville.

Florida StateOpponent winning percentage: 56.6 Buzz: Expectations are high for Jimbo Fisher in his first season as Seminoles' head coach but with the schedule that Florida State has to play this year, I think patience should be the word. A tough non-conference battle with No. 8 Oklahoma at Norman where the Sooners are 66-2 under Bob Stoops will set the tone for the rest of the season. BYU comes to Tallahassee riding a 5-game road winning streak. A mid-season match-up with instate rival No. 13 Miami on Oct. 9 will present challenges while conference games against North Carolina and Clemson at the Doak could determine FSU's chance in the ACC. The regular season ends with a rivalry game against Florida, a team that the Seminoles haven't beaten in the past six meetings.

MinnesotaOpponent winning percentage: 63.6 Buzz: This will be a tough season for the Gophers. After losing nine starters on defense, Minnesota will have their struggles stopping teams. That's not good when you look at their schedule. A non-conference opener against Middle Tennessee State will give them an early test. The Sun Belt's Offensive Player of the Year Dwight Dasher will give Minnesota fits. Another explosive offense in USC comes to Minnesota on Sept. 18. With four conference games against teams ranked in the top 25, October and November won't be easy. Road games against instate rivals No. 12 Wisconsin and Purdue will test Tim Brewster's team. Follow that up with home games against No. 14 Penn State, No.2 Ohio State, and No. 10. Iowa and things don't look rosy for the Gophers.

UCLAOpponent winning percentage: 58.4 Buzz: If the Bruins want a successful season, September will be huge for them. They open in the season in Manhattan with a rematch against Kansas State. Last year, UCLA won 23-9 but don't look for the Wildcats to be a pushover this year. Pac-10 foe Stanford will be waiting when the Bruins get back. UCLA has won six straight home meetings against the Cardinal. Houston brings their explosive offense to the Rose Bowl and the Bruins secondary will be looked upon to stop Cougars' quarterback Case Keenum. A trip to Austin for a match-up against No. 4 Texas will end UCLA's brutal month. Late October games against conference powers Oregon, Arizona, Oregon State, and USC could make this season a difficult one in Los Angeles.

OklahomaOpponents winning percentage: 58.4 Buzz: The Sooners' non-conference schedule will make or break their season. As mentioned before, No. 20 Florida State comes to Norman looking for a signature win for Jimbo Fisher's first season. The following week, Air Force comes to town. The Falcons have put together an impressive defense with a secondary that could give quarterback Landry Jones some trouble. Oklahoma hits the road for a big non-conference match-up against Cincinnati. The Red River Shootout against Texas in October followed by a brutal November against Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State could go a long way into determining Oklahoma's BCS dreams.

Iowa StateOpponent winning percentage: 63.4 Buzz: The Cyclones will walk the gauntlet this season facing seven teams that played in bowl games last season. An early game on the road against rivals Iowa on Sept. 11 could be tough. Iowa State hasn't scored a touchdown on the Hawkeyes in 14 quarters. October is brutal for Paul Rhoads' crew with home games against Texas Tech and No. 24 Utah. The Cyclones are 1-7 against the Red Raiders and the Utes are 23-3 over the past two seasons. Road games against No. 4 Texas and No. 8 Oklahoma will be tough considering Iowa State is 2-18 on the road in the Big 12 since 2005.